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Some people imagine they're being checked out every moment someone else can see them, and they feel shy. I think of bike shorts as activity-appropriate gear. You wouldn't wear golf pants at the swimming pool, or a swimsuit on the golf course. Conversely, most people wouldn't look askance at someone wearing bowling shoes at the bowling alley. I'm comfortable wearing bright jerseys (for good visibility and breathability), and cycling shorts (for support and to minimize chafing), when I go out for a bike ride. If you're not comfortable doing that, you can wear whatever you want, or you can carry something to slip on whenever you get off the bike.

Not really following the nutty comments about feeling shy, "being checked out even moment someone else can see them", golf or swimsuits. Are you for real man?

What I'd like to ask someone who has worn both types of shorts is what they like best in a touring environment.

How close can I get to a pair of Continental Triathlons, in a tour-worthy tire. These are 700x23Cs and the tour is cross country. I suppose I'm looking more for durability and puncture resistance than traction.

Whether I'm riding 20 miles or a century I stop for 2-3 minutes every 10 miles for a drink and a quick stretch. On longer rides I try not to stop for more than 15 minutes or so for lunch. Long stops can be hurt since restarting is like starting from scratch.

1. The true a**h**e: These guys drive close or yell at you or stick their dog's head out the window at you, just to throw you off kilter. There's one of these every hundred miles in suburban/rural areas.2. The clueless: Thinks that since you're riding fairly close to the white line he(she) can pass you within 6 inches, no problem. One every 20 miles.3. The distracted, including those fighting with spouses, phone callers, coffee drinkers, nose pickers, and texters: One every 10 miles.

I understand the need to keep connected and to be able to take photos and write. But I ditched my laptop when the first Blackberries came out (10+ years ago?) because I hated to lug a laptop on the train and planes. I learned to live my email alone in those days and survived quite well.

Now I get my needs met with an iPad and iPhone. And unless you're going to be coding or getting into heavy Word or Excel work, those lighter tools might work for you too. Even an iPhone alone might do it. I like the new cloud technology too; as soon as you hit wifi you're pics and docs fly back to you home computer...